Maritime Executive: China Sets Speed Record as Boxship Completes Arctic Transit to UK

Chinese officials are celebrating the arrival in record time of the containership Istanbul Bridge at the Port of Felixstowe. The vessel arrived overnight in the UK, with Chinese officials saying it demonstrates the viability of the Arctic route and critically diversifies the shipping routes, adding a fourth means of getting goods between China and Northern Europe.

The vessel departed the Ningbo-Zhoushan port on September 22. It was expected to take about 18 days for the transit, but Reuters reports the ship was delayed for two days by bad weather off the coast of Norway. The transit was completed with the vessel docking in the UK around 2130 local time on October 13, approximately 21 days after departure. 

Chinese officials are saying it is the fastest route to Europe, noting that their China-Europe Railway Express requires approximately 25 days. Sailing via the Suez Canal takes about 40 days, while rounding the Cape of Good Hope in Africa adds about 10 days for a total transit of 50 days.

Built in 2000, the vessel is 66,781 dwt with a capacity of 4,890 TEU. The ship is registered in Liberia and operates for a Chinese company, Sea Legend. Reports vary on exactly how much cargo was aboard the ship, but it appears it had at least 4,000 TEU aboard, with the Chinese reporting it was transporting clothing, energy storage cabinets, batteries, and other goods. They set the value of the cargo at $197 million.

The reports note that the vessel was making the transit at the ideal time of the year with the lowest amount of ice. The ship does not have an ice hull but was able to make the transit without an icebreaker.

The Chinese also used the opportunity to make indirect negative remarks about the United States by emphasizing that their trade with Europe remains strong and uninterrupted. They said the Europeans are anxious for the deliveries of photovoltaics, lithium batteries, and electric vehicles, and that the use of this route would speed the deliveries and diversify routes to Europe. 

Officials at the port of Ningbo hailed the start of the new service, saying the European Union is its largest trading partner and growing in significance. They valued trade in the first nine months with the EU at more than $46 billion. The report says trade to the EU has grown 12 percent year-over-year and now accounts for about 18 percent of the Ningbo Port’s total foreign trade.

The ship departed Felixstowe on Tuesday afternoon and is underway to Hamburg, Germany, where it is due on Wednesday, October 15. It had been scheduled to stop in Rotterdam, but with the strike by lashers and delays at the port, it appears to be skipping the call. After Germany, it is to proceed to Gdansk, Poland.

The Chinese have been moving to adopt the Northern Sea Route in support of Russia and its goals for shipping through the Arctic. China’s NewNew Shipping Co. started operations on the route two years ago and has committed to growing the service. Its vessel NewNew Polar Bear arrived in the Russian Arctic port of Arkhangelsk for the first time this year in August.

Environmentalists continue to protest the use of the Arctic for shipping and cite the environmental and operational dangers. However, with the melting ice, Russia has committed to continuing to push toward its goal of consistent year-round transits through the region. By 2030, Russia’s goal is to see 200 million tons of cargo annually transit the Arctic.